Related Clinical Services

Department of Neurology Programs and Services

Contact the Department of Neurology

In the Neurology department, we care for most of our patients through one of our subspecialty programs. Please follow the links below to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.

If you don’t know which program is most appropriate for your child, please contact us, and we’ll help. We may direct you to one of our programs, or we may schedule an initial appointment for your child with one of our general neurologists.

If your child has been referred to us for a diagnostic test (such as an EEG), you can contact usand we can take care of scheduling the test. You may also want to visit our Resources page for information about these tests.

Our subspecialty programs:

The Autism Spectrum Center is a multi-departmental collaborative center providing diagnosis, treatment, continuity of care and support services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. Services are available for children from infancy through adolescence who have a known or suspected ASD diagnosis.

The Brain Development and Genetics (BrDG) Clinic offers diagnostic services for children with brain development disorders. We conduct clinical evaluations, genetic testing and research studies to find new genetic changes that may cause these disorders.

The Brain Injury Center at Boston Children's Hospital cares for children with a brain or spinal cord injury by bringing together experts from specialties including trauma and emergency medicine, critical care, neurosurgery, neurology, sports medicine, neuropsychology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, occupational and physical therapy. Our multi-disciplinary approach helps define best practices in the way injuries are cared for, from early response, through inpatient care and long-term follow-up.

Children with brain and spinal cord tumors are treated through Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center’s Pediatric Brain Tumor Program. Our team includes many of the world’s most experienced pediatric brain tumor doctors from both Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s. We offer advanced surgical options, access to the New England Proton Center, and one of the country’s largest Phase I clinical trial programs.

The Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders cares for children with all kinds of sleep problems, from trouble getting enough sleep to problems during sleep such as sleep apnea. We have several pediatric sleep laboratories.

The Cerebrovascular Disorders and Stroke Program at Boston Children’s has pediatric expertise in stroke from neurology, neurosurgery, hematology, neuroradiology, neurointerventional radiology, psychiatry and nursing.We are one of a few specialized teams in the Unites States dedicated to understanding, preventing and treating pediatric strokes.

Boston Children’s is recognized as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. Our Epilepsy Centerbrings together pediatric epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, neurology nurses, dieticians and many others, who all work as an integrated team toward the goal of helping children and teens lead seizure-free lives.

Our Epilepsy Genetics Program offers comprehensive clinical consultation, genetic evaluation and genetic counseling services and conducts important scientific research to benefit children and families with known or suspected genetic epilepsy syndromes.

The Fetal-Neonatal Neurology Program provides comprehensive care for babies who have experienced a brain injury or who have a congenital neurological condition. Our team also sees patients in the Advanced Fetal Care Center at Children’s.

Our neurologists evaluate children and teens with all types of headaches through the Headache Program. We work with therapists from a wide range of other disciplines to provide the most appropriate treatment for each patient. We are also dedicated to working closely with your primary care physician. For patients with chronic headaches, our headache clinic in Waltham offers multi-disciplinary evaluation and care.

The Learning Disabilities Program offers evaluations to provide parents, teachers and physicians with a well-rounded understanding of their school-age children who face challenges in cognitive, academic and social development. Our interdisciplinary approach provides a unique understanding of the whole child.

In the Mitochondrial Program, we diagnose and manage mitochondrial diseases. We work with specialists throughout Boston Children’s to provide carefully tailored treatment and to manage the various complications that your child may experience from her mitochondrial disorder.

The Multi-Disciplinary Tuberous Sclerosis Program combines the expertise of specialists who treat all of the various complications of tuberous sclerosis and provide support to our patients and families. We are also very engaged in research to improve our understanding of tuberous sclerosis and to find treatments.

The Neurofibromatosis Program offers comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, follow-up care and genetic counseling for patients with known or suspected neurofibromatosis (NF). We hold a weekly clinic every Monday, and we offer several clinical trials for children in collaboration with researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and those on the NF Clinical Trials Consortium.

The Neurogenetics Program provides specialist clinical care for children with genetic conditions of the nervous system, optimal diagnostic testing and research into the biology, evolution and treatments for these conditions.

The Neuromotor Therapy Program develops strategies to improve the motor function of children with non-progressive, early-life brain injuries such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Our goal is to enhance all aspects of your child’s motor function.

The Neuromuscular Center cares for infants, children and teens with neuromuscular disorders including muscular dystrophy, motor neuron diseases, neuropathies and neuromuscular junction disorders. We also conduct numerous major research studies.

The Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Program cares for children and teens who have multiple sclerosis and several related disorders: acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, acute transverse myelitis and optic neuritis. We evaluate children carefully to provide an accurate diagnosis, and then provide ongoing treatment and support that is specially tailored to the needs of children and their families.

The Pediatric Neuro-immunology Program provides comprehensive care for children and adolescents who have a variety of autoimmune disorders that affect the brain and spinal cord.

The Rett Syndrome Program cares for children and adults with Rett syndrome. We are dedicated to helping children with Rett syndrome develop their full potential, and we conduct research into new treatments.

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Program is a team of specialists who provide comprehensive care for children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) during a single visit. We are actively involved in research and are dedicated to constantly improving the care we can offer our patients. Whether or not you come to Children’s for treatment, you may want to visit our website to learn the latest news about research, treatment and upcoming events in the SMA community.

The Sturge-Weber Syndrome Clinicbrings together an array of specialists to diagnose Sturge-Weber syndrome and to provide treatment for all complications. Through our collaborative approach, we are dedicated to providing multi-system care for your child that is well coordinated.

Family centered care

Patients and families are very important members of our medical team, and we will work with you and your family throughout your child’s course of treatment.

Every member of our team is specially trained to care for young patients, which means that your child will be in the best hands. Your child’s primary neurologist or pediatric neurology nurse practitioner will oversee your child’s medical care. If necessary, she will invite doctors from other medical areas at Boston Children’s Hospital onto your child’s team. You may also work with some of our nurses, all of whom are trained in child neurology.

In addition to medical care, Boston Children’s looks after your family’s physical and emotional health. We offer special services for young patients—like our Big Apple Circus Clown Care and activity rooms staffed by Child Life specialists—to keep their spirits up through the most challenging circumstances. Our support network extends beyond doctors and nurses to also include clinic facilitators, resource specialists, social workers and other knowledgeable staff. Your team is always available to help your family handle any practical concerns you may encounter.

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The future of pediatrics will be forged by thinking differently, breaking paradigms and joining together in a shared vision of tackling the toughest challenges before us.”